Monday, September 22, 2014

USNA Mids Visit Mexico

A group of Naval Academy midshipmen visited Mexico last week to participate in a military parade honoring Mexican independence. They stayed with fellow students at the Heroico Colegio Militar, the Mexican military academy. Midshipman 1st Class Annie-Norah Beveridge writes about their experiences in the first couple of days after their arrival.

Upon arriving at the Heroico Colegio Militar, the first thing that you see is the huge Mexican flag. It is definitely the biggest flag that I have
ever seen and stands in stark contrast to the Space Age-looking buildings that
form Mexico's equivalent to West Point.

The inside of the barracks that we stayed in are just as
institutionalized. For the next three days we shared the area with
members of the Colombian, Argentinean, and Mexican militaries.

We started the next morning with a three-hour long parade
practice followed by a talk from the Mexican chief of naval operations. He welcomed each of the foreign delegations
stressing that we were more than just “milirares extranjeros” (foreign
military), but also friends who had been invited to participate in one of the
most important events in Mexican history.

He told us how the people of Mexico City welcomed us with
open arms. After a presentation of gifts
to and from each delegation, we headed out to see the Aztec ruins at
Teotihuacan. Our lunch that was planned for 2 p.m., soon became a dinner and a
dance. Greeted by actors in elaborate
feather headdresses, the meal was a banquet fit for royalty. The entertainment was constant and the food
was delicious.

While the schedule had us returning for another meal around
7:30 p.m., it wasn’t until 9 that we headed back to the academy. But there was no stress, just a general “go
with the flow” attitude, and the mariachi bands and salsa dancing helped us to
realize this. It didn’t take long for
all of the delegates, no matter their country of origin, to start dancing and
chanting together. Inevitably, such an
event was able to encourage relationships that may one day work in favor of
diplomacy.

The ruins at Teotihuacan were impressive. Our guide explained that they were built
around 100 B.C. and used for hundreds of years after that. Known as “The Birthplace of the Gods,”
Teotihuacan was the largest pre-Colombian city, and its Mesoamerican pyramids
still stand out as some of the most architecturally significant.

The long bus ride to what was once the center of a state
empire offered us not only a chance to get some sleep, but also an opportunity
to see some of the different areas of
Mexico City. We passed by numerous
plazas, and what struck us most was the contrast between western establishments
– such as Walmart, Sears, and Burger King – and the more traditional street
vendors, intricate street adornments, and stray dogs. The juxtaposition of old and new is present
in Mexico City, though for the most part the
image of the native Mexican selling furniture made out of pigs hide
seems to be overshadowed by industrialization and rapid growth.

The cornucopia that awaited us at the hotel and reception
area was impressive. Our mouths
watering, we raced to line up for the guacamole while inhaling the smell of
grilled meat, relishing the sweetness of the platanos, and curiously trying
every juice on the menu. Tamarind,
horchata, and jamaica are not often served in the United States.

We went back for seconds and thirds, and yet the party was
just beginning. We conversed with our
Latin American counterparts: The Brazilians told us that they would beat us in
the soccer match tomorrow and the Argentinians taught us to roll our “r’s,”
stating that “language must be music, speak like you sing!”

Every country helped to chant for every other country. We yelled “Pe-ru, Pe-ru, Pe-ru” for a while
before shouting “E-cua-dor, E-cua-dor,” and so on before chanting “USA USA USA
!” There was an abundance of noise
makers, confetti, and hollowed out spicy cucumbers with gum drops, a truly
eclectic mix of sweet and spicy that is often found in Mexican cooking.

The fiesta was not supposed to have an end time and we
gladly followed suit, heading out into the city to experience more of what our
welcoming host nation had to offer.